The Guy Fawkes Inn, High Petergate, York

11:41am Saturday 14th June 2008

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RARELY have I looked forward to an eating-out review as much as this one.

Ever since the Guy Fawkes Inn opened on Petergate back in April, I had been raving to friends about how good it was.

It boasts a central location, lots of good ales and whiskies, good character and a mouthwatering menu. This was my kind of place, so I didn't think twice about volunteering to review it at the earliest possible opportunity.

After all, it was bound to be a great night. Or so I thought. Alas, as poor Guido himself found out all too well, things don't always turn out as planned. My first visit as a diner was not quite the night to remember, remember that I had hoped it would be, thanks to iffy service and miserly portions.

The inn is the latest addition to the growing portfolio of York's de Bretton hospitality group (which owns Harvilles and Four High Petergate among others).

It claims to be on the site of Fawkes' birthplace, and although that is dubious, it is directly opposite the church where he was baptised, St Michael le Belfrey.

It was with some friends from that same church that I headed enthusiastically to the Fawkes last Monday night.

We skipped the starters, and focused on the "gastro-pub" main courses. The menu states that all dishes are made on the premises, and boasts an array of classic and tempting dishes.

I opted for the East Coast haddock in real-ale batter with proper chips (£10); Mev went for the pan-fried Easingwold outdoor dry-cured gammon steak (£9); while Rachel chose the pan-fried sea bream (£12).

Clare plumped for the eggs Benedict (£6), but without the usual ham; while AJ went for the steak, potato and Guy Fawkes Ale pie (£10), one of several dishes for which 25p of every order is donated to the York Minster Revealed project.

What followed was delightful yet disappointing. The food, make no mistake, was fantastic and the presentation chic and impressive. But the portions were in most cases unacceptably small, and few people who choose to go for pub grub are looking for minimalism.

My fish, for instance, was flavoursome but small; the chips perfect but few. The accompanying peas with ham hock were a great aside, and the chunky tartar sauce with capers was sensational. But the whole dish was a fraction of what it should have been, given the price.

Mev's gammon was listed as coming with pineapple pickle, chips and a free range egg. He misread pineapple pickle' as pineapple and pickle' so accidentally lost almost all his accompaniments when he asked for no pickle or egg.

He found his chips and meat fantastic, but even the full range of accompaniments would not have disguised that the steak was on the small side.

Clare's eggs Benedict was by nature a petite dish, but was priced accordingly. The hollandaise sauce was, she said, sublime and it was a perfectly executed veggie version of an age-old classic.

Rach's bream was also cooked to perfection, and the accompanying Jersey Royal potatoes and sugar snap peas complemented it well.

AJ found his fully-encrusted pie excellent, and the sides of peas and ham hock, pickled cabbage and brown sauce suited it well. His portion also looked needlessly stingy though.

Under-whelmed and underfed, we were further disappointed when we had to wait an age between ordering and receiving our desserts. They finally arrived after 40 minutes.

The desserts were, in fairness, far better value than the mains. Clare and AJ shared the treacle tart with lemon curd ice cream (£4) and were over the moon, while Rach's steamed ginger pudding with toffee sauce and apple pie ice-cream (£5.50) was also a hit.

I went for the lemon and thyme brulée with raspberry sorbet and lavender biscuits (£4.50), and could not have been happier. The custard was delightful, and the sorbet even better. It was an intriguing mix of flavours, but spectacularly successful.

Last but not least, Mev chose the strawberries, Champagne and cream (£6). He got a great dish, but not what we expected - it contained a serving of mousse, a serving of sorbet, some pink Champagne and, of course, some strawberries.

Our total bill, excluding drinks, was £67. With decent-sized mains and better service, that would have been fair. But just like Fawkes four centuries earlier, we hadn't got the spectacular result we'd hoped for.

• The Guy Fawkes Inn; 25 High Petergate; 0845 4602020
• Gavin visited on Monday, June 9, 2008